The Country
with the Most Deaths from Snake Bites

Around the world,
an estimated 1 million people are bitten by snakes every year. However,
few of the snakes responsible are highly dangerous and, indeed, research
has shown that in as many as 50% of bites no venom is injected. Consequently,
in many countries there is more chance of being killed by a bolt of lightning
than there is of being killed by a snake.
Nevertheless, the World Health Organization estimates that 30 - 40,000
people are killed every year by snakes (although this figure is little
more than a rough calculation) and, in some areas the risk is very high.

More people die from
snakebite in India than in any other country in the world, with the total
death toll estimated to average 10 - 12,000 annually. This is partly due
to a high incidence of venomous snakes, but also because in many areas
medical care is not always readily available and, consequently, more bites
prove fatal; death can often be prevented by prompt medical treatment
and, indeed, most deaths from snakebite occur well away from hospitals
and other treatment centers. In some areas, local habits and conditions
also encourage a higher incidence of snakebite; in Bombay, for example,
poor hygiene attracts large numbers of rats and other rodents which, in
turn, attract large numbers of cobras (family Elapidae).

More people die of
snakebite in Sri Lanka than in any other comparable area. An average of
800 people are killed by snakes every year on the 656,120Km² (25,332miles²)
island - equivalant to one person every 82Km² (32 miles²) annually.
Over 95% of the fatalities are caused by the common krait (Bungarus
caeruleus), the Sri Lankan cobra (Naja n. naja) and Russel's
pit viper (Vipera russelli pulchella).

The approximate number
of deaths by snakebite, and the species most likely to have been responsible,
according to major regions of the world are as follows: